Work Begins On $600M Bridge Connecting Wisconsin,Twin Cities Metro

Work has begun in St. Croix County on a $600 million bridge project linking Wisconsin to the Twin Cities metro area.

Excavation began this week on the Wisconsin approach to what's called the St. Croix River Crossing. When it's completed, the bridge will stand more than 200 feet above the river and link St. Joseph, Wisconsin to Oak Park Heights, Minnesota.

Wisconsin Department of Transportation Project Manager Tara Weiss says the first phase of construction has crews digging 20 feet into the bluff where the bridge deck will meet the land.

“The bluff and most of that material in the area is very sandy,” Weiss said, “So, that's actually an item that we're having to contend with while we're excavating on the bluff, as this is a fairly environmentally sensitive area.”

Weiss says to keep erosion down during the spring melt they're using silt fencing, building sediment traps in ditches and a detention pond for storm water. In total, the DOT says they'll move 700,000 cubic yards of earth.

Part of state Highway 35, which runs along the river, will be closed, while an overpass is built. Weiss says they're working as fast as possible to reopen it by July.

“We tried to consolidate the amount of work on this bridge and they're on a very accelerated schedule in order to get it done,” Weiss said, “because we did want to reduce the number of time the traffic is on the detour.”

Excavation will continue 24 hours a day from the St. Croix River valley toward Houlton, Wisconsin, eventually connecting with state Highway 65 near New Richmond. The bridge project was strongly opposed for decades by environmental groups in the area because it will cross the federally protected St. Croix River. It's expected to be completed by fall of 2016.

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